In the known art, containers are labelled by suitable labelling machines positioned in series with the machines which form and fill the containers.
Specifically, in the known art a plurality of containers are formed simultaneously such that their outer rims are joined together. When the containers have been formed with their mouths facing upwards, they are filled with the product which they are to receive, after which the container mouth is sealed by a suitable lid. The filled and sealed containers pass through a separation station where blade-type cutting devices are present which incise and/or cut the rims joining the containers together in order to separate them.
Each container is then inverted and fed to a labelling machine, which mounts from above onto the body of the container a heat-shrinkable label in the form of an annular band, so that it rests on the container outer rim.
The container provided with the label is then fed through a heating tunnel where the label is made to adhere to the container body by heat. On termination of this operation the container must be again inverted, and then fed to packaging means of usual type.
The aforesaid method is complicated to carry out as each container must be inverted to enable the band-shaped label to be mounted on it from above. This complication is accentuated if the containers contain different products or the same product but of a different flavour. In such a case to suitable means must be provided for handling the containers so that the correct label for the product concerned is applied.
An object of this invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the known art within the framework of a simple, reliable and rational solution, able to reduce the final cost.